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Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Episode 18 Review

The story in Mahouka right now is exhibiting all the plot signs that will build up to big back story reveals and more intense action. The Nine Schools Competition will end in one more day. While Miyuki is enjoying the mini party, Tatsuya is preparing for an assassination mission.

Lesson of the day: DO NOT anger Tatsuya

We got to see a completely different side of Tatsuya this episode, one that hints at the superhuman magician side of his characters. Some higher officials are discussing The Yotsubas – the family that Tatsuya and Miyuki came from. They also compare Tatsuya to Masaki. Whereas Masaki can be useful as a military force on the frontlines, Tatsuya is a honed and very much emotionless weapon that can be used for all sorts of illegal government-deemed necessary missions. Tatsuya was developed for such purposes through the Yotsuba family’s experimentations. As a result of these experiments where parts of Tatsuya’s brain was altered so he could be capable of large scale analyses as well as his other unconventional magic skills, the parts that hold strong emotions were removed and his mother left only one emotion – the love for his sister. (Miyuki was actually pretty horrified when she found out Tatsuya could only really love her so it’s somewhat understandable that she would be so attached to him… among other reasons)

Tatsuya uses as a very long range sniper magic called Demon Light, to kill the members of the crime syndicate. Even one of the other government worker peoples cringe a little at how heartless he can be when it comes to murder in cold blood.

Saegusa and Jumonji are handling some Ten Master Clans businesses where they need to reinforce the clans’ powers after that overwhelming display of skill from a second-class student in the earlier monolith match. Jumonji’s phalanx is a pretty interesting magic to witness. It visually moves similar to the grounded phalanx formation from the ancient Greeks (cool reference here).

I SWEAR I was just WAITING for the siblings to dance with each other at the celebratory “ball” to conclude the Nine Schools Competition. Although Tatsuya sends his sister off to dance with Masaki and he ends up dancing with all the other supporting character girls, the siblings end up having their last dance outside in the courtyard JUST AS the beautiful fountain lights up. #animegettingitright

One tidbit that really reminds the viewers that there is so much more to the characters in this world than the high school setting is the part where Jumonji pulls Tatsuya aside to talk to him about potentially joining the Ten Master Clans. Jumonji even suggests that Tatsuya potentiall marry Saegusa. (WHOA). Even though these kids are only in high school, they ARE going to become the magic and political world’s new future power-holders which means that marriage alliances are one of the quickest way to secure stability in the magic world. (Definitely foreshadowing some larger conflict to build up to the finale)